I explain everything to him and end with, “If you know someone who’s got an apartment or house for rent, let me know.”
Like the kind person he is, he genuinely thinks about it for a moment.
“You know…” he starts, “I think Tamika is looking for a roommate.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, her last one ditched her, and I remember she complained about having to find a new one.”
A spark of hope flickers in my chest, and I turn around to look at where Tamika was having her lunch just a moment ago. It looks like shealready went back upstairs to work, so I sigh again. “I’ll have to ask her next time I see her,” I decide.
“I think this is urgent enough to pay her a visit now. Come, I’ll take you to her office.”
We get rid of our lunch stuff, and he determinedly leads me upstairs. We walk up to a door, he knocks on it, and a feminine voice invites us in. We enter the office where several people are working, including Tamika in the far left corner.
We walk up to her, and when she notices us, Tami smiles with a wave of her hand.
“Hey, I was wondering if you’re still looking for a roommate?” Oliver signs when we reach her. She nods, and my heart begins to beat a little faster.
“Great! Andy is looking for a new place, kind of urgently, but I’ll let you two sort it out.”
With one of his friendly and warm smiles, he leaves.
I turn to Tami. “Would you seriously have me as a roommate?” I sign, so relieved that my hands are shaking.
“Are you allergic to peanuts?” Taken aback by the question, I shake my head. “Good. Peanut butter is the one thing I can’t exist without, so I can’t live in a peanut-free household.”
I giggle and then catch myself so I don’t disturb her coworkers.
For the following ten minutes, Tami and I have a silent but thorough conversation to ensure neither of us is making a mistake—though beggars can’t be choosers, so I’m in no matter what. She promises to send me a few pictures, gives me the address, tells me about the neighborhood… We agree on a three-month trial period, and if it works out, then I can stay for good. After we exchange numbers, I leave the office, ecstatic.
Oliver is leaning against the wall, and when he notices I’m out, he puts his phone away.
“So?”
“Well, thanks to you, my ulcer will now slowly resorb.”
“So it’s good? She’s taking you in?”
“Yes! We’ll work out a few things until Friday, but I have a roof for at least three months.” I wriggle with excitement and happiness. “Thank you so much for this.”
“Anything for a friend in need.”
A friend… Not even a week in, and I already have a friend here. And it feels as amazing as the relief of having a home again.
Since I don’t know how else to express my elation, I get closer and wrap my arms around him. I hug him tightly, grateful for what he did.He freezes for a moment, unsure how to react, and then his arms slowly close around my shoulders.
“Thank you, Oli. Really,” I say, my voice half-muffled by his plaid shirt. He smells good, clean, and earthy—something comfortable and cozy.
“To tell you the truth, it was purely selfish. Now you’ll have to take the same bus as me, and I’ll get more nerdy debates.”
My chuckle is cut short when a door opens next to us. We separate instantly and turn to see who interrupted us.
Of course, it’shim.
Alexander Coleman, in all his mightiness, stares at us with a judging glare, his eyebrow cocked up. Somehow, I feel ashamed he caught us like this, even though we did nothing wrong.
He’s dashing, as usual, and I feel my skin warm up under his stare. How can this man reduce me to mush with his eyes alone? What kind of sorcery is this?
